Bottle shelf



H. W. AVERY BOTTLE SHELF Oct. 22, 1935.

Filed June 21, 1933 Howard 24 fire BY ATTORNEY I HAW,

Patented Oct. 22, 1935 FFICE BQ'E'ELE SEE Howard W. Avery, Detroit, Mitch, mesignor, by mesne assi; tents, to Borg-War Com tion, a corporation of cis Application June 21, 1933, S No. 6%,807

This invention relates to movable racks or other devices for supporting a plurality of articles such as bottles, and in the present instance, has particular relation to a rack or slidable shelf for supporting bottles which it is desired to store in an accessible manner in'an ordinary household refrigerator.

An object of the invention is to provide a fabricated support particularly adaptable for employment in refrigerators and which is provided with a section having suitable supporting frames disposed in parallel relation therein and in which are formed a plurality of depressions in which may be disposed a plurality of bottles, arranged in parallel relation transversely thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment adapted to be secured to a refrigerator shelf and which is provided with a movable carriage upon which may be disposed in parallel relation, a'plurality of bottles.

The embodiment of the invention disclosed herein for the purpose of illustration comprises generally a frame having projecting upwardly therefrom a plurality of hook-shaped supports which are adapted to engage the frame or other portions of a refrigerator shelf. The supports may be bent, if necessary, so that attachment may be made with refrigerator shelvesof somewhat different dimensions. The frame has slidably secured thereupon a bottle supporting carriage which is adapted to be moved inwardly or outwardly relative to the shelf upon which the frame is supported, in such manner that the bottles supported by the carriage will be disposed either beneath the shelf within a space not ordinarily accessible for storing bottles or outwardly beyond the shelf where the bottles supported by the carriage will be accessible for removal or replacement.

For 'a better understanding of the invention, reference may now be had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in' which: n

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view of a household or other refrigerator and having a shelf supported therein, :embracing the principles of the invention disclosed herein;

Fig; 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the shelf illustrated by Fig. 1 as the latter might appear substantially in the plane of line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

3 is a. vertical sectionalview taken substantially in the plane of line 3-3 of Fig. 1 and illustrating in dot and dash lines the position. of the bottle supporting carriage embraced in the shelf, when the carriage is pulled outwardly relative to the shelf, where the bottle supported thereby will be accessible from without the refrigerator;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through a portion of the shelf as the latter might appear 5, substantially in the plane of line d--i of Fig. 3; and

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are fragmentary sectional views illustrating the construction of some of the different parts of the structure and are taken rew spectively in the planes of lines 5-5, 66 and '11-? looking in the direction of the arrows, adjacent thereto in Figs. 3 and 2 of the drawing.

The refrigerator i0 employed in practicing the invention is provided with a cooling unit H of w any suitable design and the interior of which is accessible through a door i2 for the purpose of freezing water or other liquid substances within freezing trays such as are normally employed for this purpose. The exterior surface of the 20 cooling unit it is cooled to such an extent as to provide a downward circulation of air within the refrigerator in the vicinity thereof, and in this manner the entire quantity of air within the insulated or cabinet part of the refrigerator 5 is maintained in a cooled condition.

Inside the cabinet it there is disposed any number of shelves suitable for the storage of provisions thereon, and on one of these, indicated at 13, and which is supported on brackets I4 30 extending inwardly from the side walls of the cabinet, there is supported a de-frosting tray i6 such as is sometimes employed in refrigerators for collecting the water from the atmosphere condensing upon the exposed surfaces of the cooling 35 unit II and which may be permitted to drain downwardly into the tray l6 during de-frosting or other periods.

Supported in any desired position within the cabinet I0, upon any of the aforesaid shelves 40 located therein, (such as that indicated at l3) is a bottle cooling device or apparatus H, which,

in the present instance, comprises a horizontally disposed and fabricated frame I8 which is adapted to be attached either permanently or remov- 45 ably to the aforesaid shelf. This frame embraces a rectangularly shaped base l9 embracing parallel side members 2| and parallel end members 22, the side members of which are welded or otherwise secured adjacent their ends to trans- 50 versely disposed stirrups 23 having upwardly projecting hook-shaped portions 24 adapted to extend partially around bars 26 employed in constructing the shelf l3. In order to prevent the frame l8 from becoming disengaged from the 6d shelf l3, there is employed upon the bars 26, a resilient metallic clip indicated at 21 which are adapted to engage notches 28 formed in the hook members 24, directly opposite the bars 26.

Disposed above the base l9 there is provided a fabricated carriage or bottle rack 32 which embraces a pair of longitudinally disposed side frames 33 and 34, each having supporting sections 36 disposed in such position as to slide upon the upper surfaces of the longitudinally disposed side members 2 l of the base l9. Each of the side members 2| of the base l9 has secured thereto, by welding or other suitable means, as indicated at 31, an annular metallic clip 38, which surrounds both the longitudinal side members of the base I 9 and the longitudinal side members 36 of the side frames 33 and 34. In order to permit as much movement as possible of the carriage 32, it is advisable to dispose the retaining clips 38 directly against the forward ones of the stirrups 24, as is indicated in Fig. 3.

'Also surrounding the longitudinal members 2| and 38 but secured to the longitudinal members 36, by welding or other suitable means, as is indicated in Fig. 5, at 39, is a second pair of annular retaining clips 4| which are adapted to be fastened to the longitudinal members 39 near the rear ends of the latter and in such manner that the clips will abut the rear ones ,of the stirrups 24 when the carriage is disposed in its normal position beneath the shelf I 3.

In order to retain these side frames 34 in their proper vertical position and to complete the frame structure of the carriage 32, there is employed between opposite ends-of the side frames 33 and 34, pairs of transversely disposed bars 42 and 43 which are secured at the opposite ends thereof to the ends of the frames 33 and 34 by welding or other suitable means. Between the lower rods 43 of these pairs, there is secured a pair of spaced and longitudinally disposed rods 44 which are adapted to provide further rigidity for the carriage 32 and to prevent anything from falling downwardly through the space between the sides and ends of the base l9.

The two side frames 33 and 34 have upper longitudinal members 46 and 41, respectively, the latter of which is arranged somewhat higher above the lower longitudinal members 36 of the side frames than is the former.

Formed in the upper longitudinal member 46 of the side frame 33, from one end thereof tothe other, is a plurality of arcuately formed sections 48, each of which is curved in such manner as to approximately fit the lower enlarged portion of whatever kind of bottle or other container it is desired to support upon the carriage. These arcuate portions are so spaced relative to one another that bottles will lie upon the carriage 32 with the larger portions thereof almost in contact with one another.

The longitudinal member 41 of the side frame 34 also is formed to provide an equal number of arcuate sections indicated at 49, each of which is arranged oppositely relative to a corresponding arcuate section of the side frame 33, so as to provide-a support for the neck or reduced portion of each of the bottles supported upon the carriage 32..

When it is desired to place upon or to remove bottles from the carriage 32, the latter is simply .pulled outwardly from beneath the shelf l3 to any extent desired, or until the clips 4| secured upon the rear ends of. the longitudinal members 36 engage the clips38 secured upon the forward be held securely upon the carriage so as to avoid the danger of breaking. Also, the bottles will be so located within the cabinet that the. capacity of the refrigerator for storing provisions will not be 15 greatly decreased. '4

The apparatus may be so arranged that other provisions may be stored upon the shelf beneath the bottle container ll, when the latter is suspended from beneath one of the upper refrigg0 erator shelves, as is illustrated herein.

It will be apparent that the invention may have forms and applications other than as herein disclosed, all beyond the limits of the prior art and within the scope of the appended claims. 25

I claim:

1. In a refrigerator having a provision shelf extending thereacross for supporting provisions to be cooled internally thereof. an apparatus comprising a frame having supports projecting 30 therefrom for engagement with said shelf and whereby said apparatus is supported within said refrigerator, removable means cooperating with said supports, for securing said frame relative to said shelf, a slidable carriage supported by said 35 frame for receiving objects to be cooled in the interior of said refrigerator, and means for limiting the movement of said carriage relative to said frame.

2. In a refrigerator provided with a shelf ex- 0 tending thereacross for supporting articles to be cooled in the interior thereof, an apparatus for supporting bottles comprising a carriage having means for slidably supporting the latter beneath said shelf, said carriage being provided with 45 supporting members extending longitudinally thereof and having an open space between the same, said members being adapted to removably support in parallel relation on said carriage a plurality of bottles disposed adjacent said shelf. 50

3. An apparatus for supporting bottles comprising a shelf for suspending said apparatus within the interior of a cooled enclosure, an open frame suspended beneath said shelf to provide a space between the latter and said shelf, 65 an open movable bottle supporting carriage disposed in said space and adapted for limited movement externally thereof, and means connecting said carriage to said frame to provide a sliding relationship therebetween and for pre- 30 venting the complete removal of said carriage from said space.

4. A bottle supporting apparatus for employment in combination with a refrigerator having a shelf disposed therein, said apparatus compris- 65 ing a frame disposed in parallel relation to said shelf and provided with hanger means by which I said shelf is adapted to support said frame in spaced relation therebeneath, a carriage slidably disposed relative to said frame and arranged 70 within the space between the latter and said shelf, said carriage being provided with a spaced pair of side frames having perfoi'ations formed therein for supporting the opposite ends of. a row of bottles.

riage slidably disposed upon said frame and be- 5. A bottle supporting apparatus comprising a rectangular frame having a pair of parallel side members, means whereby said frame may be removably supported in the interior of a cooled enclosure, a carriage slidably mounted upon said side members and being provided with a pair of oppositely disposed side frames, said side frames being provided with arcuate depressions therein at different distances from said frame.

6. A bottle supporting apparatus comprising a horizontally disposed supporting frame having a plurality of supporting members disposed in parallel relation therein, a bottle supporting caring provided with longitudinal supporting members disposed in parallel relation to one another and arranged oppositely to said supporting members of said frame, and a plurality of clips engaging the longitudinal members of said carriage and frame, certain of said clips being secured rigidly to said frame and others to said carriage, the arrangement of said clips being adapted to provide for limited movement of said carriage w relative to said frame.

HOWARD W. AVERY. 

